 | Home > General & Technical (L663) > A press release on the New Defender with a few Oh! Dear! |
 
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| gilarion Member Since: 05 Dec 2013 Location: Wales Posts: 5110   
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Just read a press release nothing really new just maybe something to wet an appetite or a soft option for pricing the car out of the usuall market?
'The All-new Defender will be the most high-tech Land Rover yet, have an exceptional off-road ability and be sold as a premium 4x4. (To me the words Premium 4x4 is a worrying statement as usually premium means a high price tag). JLR can now reveal the new Defender, codenamed L663, will finally be shown as the centrepiece of Land Rover’s 70th-anniversary celebrations – and the model revealed will be the final production car, not a concept. The company did start to show the family of DC100 concepts in 2011, which at the time were said to preview a more low-cost new Defender then coming in 2015. But such was the reaction against the DC100 becoming the new Defender that the firm returned to the drawing board The new Defender will be based on a common Jaguar Land Rover architecture, a toughened-up version of the D7u underpinnings used on the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Discovery models. This will enable the kinds of economies of scale in production that the old model never achieved, as well as allowing for a range of petrol and diesel engines from JLR’s Ingenium line-up to be offered. It also means the model can be sold in the US and Canada, which the old Defender couldn’t because it failed to meet crash safety regulations. The phrase ‘premium durability’ has also inspired the creation of the new Defender, which will be pitched as a premium product and priced as such. The car’s final design is understood to have a much more understated and refined look than previous artists’ impressions have suggested. That decision will mark a clear design shift for the new Defender away from the original and, as such, it will not be a retro-styled reinterpretation of the classic model. Although the design will contain no more than a few nods to the original, the new car’s capability will be beyond reproach. Indeed, the new Defender is set to be the most high-tech Land Rover yet. It will have a full and updated suite of off-road technology based on the Terrain Response II system that surpasses the tech offered on the new Discovery model introduced last year. Land Rover is aiming for the new Defender to be designed and engineered to have the kind of ground clearance and approach, departure and break-over angles that will give it class-leading off-road performance and agility. The crucial commercial balance Land Rover is working on is ensuring the car appeals to both hardcore off-road enthusiasts, who will use it as intended, and a broader, more general audience, who will put it to more typical everyday use. The whole premise of the brand is based on the credibility of its off-road message – a role the original Defender fulfilled many times over on a marketing level, even as sales dwindled. Whereas models such as the Evoque and Velar, however capable they are, may not need the approval of the purists in Land Rover’s eyes, the Defender definitely does. The firm also has a close eye on the plans of billionaire industrialist Jim Ratcliffe to launch his own rough and tough off-roader born out of the demise of the original Defender. Despite the vast wealth, size and experience of JLR, the company is still looking to gazump Ratcliffe, beat him to market and be seen as the company launching the genuine successor to the Defender. One question hanging over the new Defender is where it will be produced. It is unlikely to be built in Britain because the two JLR factories that make aluminium-bodied cars, at Solihull and Castle Bromwich, are close to capacity. That leaves the firm’s new plant in Slovakia (where the Discovery, to which the new Defender will be closely related, will be built) as the most likely location.' For those who like Welsh Mountains and narrow boats have a look at my videos and photos at.. http://www.youtube.com/user/conwy1 |
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13th Apr 2018 3:04pm |
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| ericvv Member Since: 02 Jun 2011 Location: Near the Jet d'Eau Posts: 5816  
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A press release from who? Can you copy the link to it here?
Eric You never actually own a Defender. You merely look after it for the next generation. http://youtu.be/yVRlSsJwD0o https://youtu.be/vmPr3oTHndg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GtzTT9Pdl0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABqKPz28e6A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLZ49Jce_n0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvAsz_ilQYU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8tMHiX9lSw https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dxwjPuHIV7I https://vimeo.com/201482507 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSixqL0iyHw Last edited by ericvv on 14th Apr 2018 4:20am. Edited 2 times in total |
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13th Apr 2018 3:29pm |
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| Fellrunner Member Since: 28 Sep 2014 Location: Wandering Posts: 257  
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I really hope I’m wrong, but this strikes me as further continued slippage into the increasingly bland, plastic, poor quality ‘all looking the same’ product line up that JLR seems hell bent on pursuing. The JLR line up doesn’t need another plastic tonka toy for the weekend supermarket warrior.
I loved my first Range Rover, I’ve since used a number of JLR products and, personally, I wouldn’t go back until something changes (quality of dealers, reliability of product, better product differentiation ...). Then again, I’m sure they’ll sell like hot cakes 
Sorry, that became a bit of a rant and certainly off topic!  |
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13th Apr 2018 4:03pm |
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| discomog Member Since: 09 May 2015 Location: Notts/Lincs Border Posts: 2526  
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I have no doubt that the new Defender will be the most technologically advanced and have the most amazing off road ability but it will as stated come at a price.
I was absolutely amazed when I took my Disco Sport off road for the first time a few weeks ago, even with standard road going tyres it had no problems negotiating some very muddy hill climbs, the same hills that had already defeated a Q7 and an X5. It was extremely sure footed downhill using terrain response and hill descent control. Having recently taken a D5 off road it was pretty obvious to me that once I had got used to all the electronic driver aids it would be virtually unbeatable. I have no qualms about the new Defenders's ability both on tarmac and off road but I am concerned about the pricing and also I would like to see it being of a more rugged appearance than the current offerings from JLR. Defender 90XS SW Mini Countryman Cooper S Morgan Plus 8 |
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13th Apr 2018 4:27pm |
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| LR90XS2011 Member Since: 05 Apr 2011 Location: bickenhill Posts: 3641 
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the less like my 90 it is the happier I will be. DEFENDER 90 TDCI XS,
I hope everyone is well and your land rovers make you happy |
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13th Apr 2018 5:15pm |
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| wyvern Member Since: 13 Dec 2009 Location: Cornwall Posts: 2108 
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Sounds like the new defender will be along the same lines as the G wagon and put the plush and practability in to one model.
I think that it will be a winner and sell well in the US no matter what we think of it as its going to be head to head with the Jeep range and all the Japanese offload vehicles, plus their own discover and RR models. I can see an issue with the utility side of the market, such as the famers, service engineering, rescue services and military use, but these are probably not worth much in market value - but worth a lot in respect of the brand. looking foroward to seeing the vehicle, as we all are. Poppy - TDCI (Puma) 110XS 2.2 - Camper conversion - see the build here - https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic56530.html Elgar -TDCI(Puma) 110XS Dormobile - now sold Devon & Cornwall 4x4 Response - DC126  |
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13th Apr 2018 6:27pm |
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| DSC-off Member Since: 16 Oct 2014 Location: North East Posts: 1402 
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Thanks for posting this Gilarion.
Saying where an article was found gives a least a little credit to the original author, it also makes them less likely to sue for copyright issues! 
A link to the source article helps to evaluate how credible that source is or if they're just speculating the same as the majority are. It does seem to be accurate and well informed. Though I did laugh at, "this will enable the kinds of economies of of scale that the old model never achieved". Oh Yeah? In the early and mid 1990s the Defender shared most of it's engines, transmission and suspension with the original Range Rover AND the Discovery - which at the time was the best selling 4x4 in Europe, until the Freelander came along. So there would have been big cost benefits across the shared platform, just as with the new one. |
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13th Apr 2018 7:22pm |
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| diesel_jim Member Since: 13 Oct 2008 Location: hiding Posts: 6092 
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If you're talking about the 463 G63/G500 yes, but what about the (still available) 461 professional models? They're the real workshorses. |
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13th Apr 2018 8:34pm |
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| Zed Member Since: 07 Oct 2017 Location: In the woods Posts: 3287 
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Looks like he pinched it from here: https://www.pressreader.com/thailand/bangk...3586607207 |
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13th Apr 2018 8:38pm |
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| DSC-off Member Since: 16 Oct 2014 Location: North East Posts: 1402
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Thanks Zed. Interesting that the Bangkok Post published that a month before Autocar did on 10th Jan.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-car...-commences |
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13th Apr 2018 8:56pm |
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| Grenadier Member Since: 23 Jul 2014 Location: The foot of Mont Blanc... Posts: 5804  
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Except that in the release they say it won't be a retro version and not look the same whereas the latest G Wagen looks exactly like a G Wagen. I fear this will just look like an alternative Discovery, albeit even more capable and advanced. Large, rounded LR nose anyone? Monsieur Le Grenadier I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list..... 2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey |
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13th Apr 2018 9:11pm |
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| v8bobber Member Since: 26 Aug 2012 Location: pembrokeshire Posts: 445 
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Another thing to consider is that there's been mention of the Defender being a range of vehicles rather than just one vehicle, in the same way that the Range Rover is (full fat, sport evoque). That'll be interesting but I feel the will dilute the Defender name even more.
The more I think about it, the more they should have let the Defender name go... |
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13th Apr 2018 9:47pm |
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| DSC-off Member Since: 16 Oct 2014 Location: North East Posts: 1402
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So that's why it's taking so long, they're developing a whole range of Defenders.
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13th Apr 2018 9:53pm |
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| Pickles Member Since: 26 May 2013 Location: Melbourne Posts: 3784  
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Thanks for the post Gilarion,...that is big news to me because I hadn't heard anything from JLR before, with respect to naming an actual date for release. What will the "actual" date be?
I'm not really concerned about what it "will or won't be", there's been massive speculation already, nobody knows, JLR have done a mighty job at keeping it secret. So I just wanna SEE it, one thing's for sure, it ain't gonna be a patch on "The V8 Works Edition"! (IMHO) Pickles |
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13th Apr 2018 10:45pm |
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